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SER-26-2000 14: 16 DELANEY 2 DELANEY 970 945 2303 P.03 <br /> WQCD <br /> 2 <br /> extremely clear, and sediment has ceased to be of concern_ The water tends to <br /> be alkaline. <br /> WQCD amended the CDPS permit, effective April 1, 1996, to eliminate routine <br /> monitoring of Outfall 016, as well as other discharge points at the mine site (the <br /> exception being Outfall 001, on which monitoring was required until March, <br /> 2000). <br /> Over the past several years, access to the 016 ponds has become increasingly <br /> difficult. As part of DMG's reclamation activities, the lower portion of the access <br /> road leading to the ponds was removed, and some timber has fallen across the <br /> road as well. Access to the mine site itself is now seasonal, as the roads are not <br /> kept open during winter months, a period which usually lasts from November <br /> through April_ <br /> This year, beaver have taken up residence at the ponds above Outfall 016, have <br /> constructed homes, and been quite active in damming up the ponds. Several <br /> times throughout the summer, Mid-Continent has cleaned out beaver-laid debris <br /> from the discharge structures and emergency spillways, which has been <br /> necessary to keep the ponds functional. This has been done repeatedly and, <br /> given the nature of beaver, will continue as an ongoing maintenance headache. <br /> Some thought has been given to trying to kill or trap the beaver, but this seems <br /> infeasible because of the difficulty in doing so, and the likelihood that other <br /> beaver will simply move in and continue damming the ponds. <br /> At the same time, Mid-Continent is concerned about the condition of the ponds <br /> throughout the winter and early spring months, when they are inaccessible. The <br /> specific concern is that spillway devices, and emergency spillways, will become <br /> so plugged with beaver-laid debris as to be non-functional, causing water to <br /> simply spill over the embankments. <br /> At the same time, the DMG has said for several years now that they think the <br /> water from the mine should be routed directly to Dutch Creek, thus bypassing the <br /> ponds and associated maintenance problems_ Mike Long, Director of the DMG, <br /> has written Dave Holm to express DMG's preference for routing mine flows <br /> directly to Dutch Creek. See attached letter. <br /> Mid-Continent has concluded that doing so would be the most feasible alternative <br /> for the coming winter, given the present beaver problem, and proposes to do so if <br /> WQCD agrees. There is an existing, permitted discharge point, 029, designated <br /> for tunnel discharge to Dutch Creek. This alternate discharge point was used <br /> briefly during the 1980s, but has not been used since that time. However, with <br /> WQCD's permission, Mid-Continent would proceed to install a pipe or ditch <br /> across the mine yard, intersect the tunnel flows, and route the water directly to <br /> Dutch Creek, through designated outfall 029, The 016 ponds would then receive <br />